We won’t censor games, promises PM

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has given fresh details of his proposal to review the impact of entertainment media on UK children – and ruled out any plan to further censor the video games industry.

Speaking at his second monthly press conference in Downing Street, Mr Brown unveiled plans for a common agreement between parents, entertainment creators and internet providers to protect children from violent or pornographic material.

The Guardian reports that a ‘wider than expected review of media violence on children’ is to be conducted by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Mr Brown said: "The sources of information for children from a very young age now are the internet, television, commercial advertising. That is a good thing in so many different ways, but where there is pornographic or violent material, any parent is going to be concerned.

"This is not the government telling people what they should do. This is society reaching a conclusion with all those people involved about what are the legitimate boundaries.

“I think we have got to look at this as a society. I hope this is one of the areas where there can be common ground between all parties. I think you need to review this with a large number of representative groups, from parents, from the different industries itself and from other areas of public life.

"This is not an area where you can proceed in my view without trying to establish both what the boundaries are and what is the consensus you can build around these boundaries.

"I am not interested in censorship at all, but I think we do need rules governing some aspects of the internet and videos where children are involved."

ELSPA director general Paul Jackson added: "We remain in close contact with officials and continue our dialogue on our members’ behalf on a daily basis”

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